The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70844

Bernadette B. Sangalang, PhD, MSW, School of Public Health/Alcohol Research Group, University of California at Berkeley, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510-642-5208, bbs@uclink.berkeley.edu, Kathleen A. Rounds, PhD, MSW, MPH, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 301 Pittsboro St, CB 3550, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550, and Richard Barth, PhD, Frank A. Daniels School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 301 Pittsboro, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550.

This session reports on an evaluation of a case management intervention for first-time pregnant or parenting adolescents. We followed 445 pregnant or parenting youth who entered the Adolescent Parenting Program (APP). Data came from APP’s case management data system, birth records, and participant pre/post questionnaires. Compared to non-participant teenage mothers, APP mothers had a lower proportion of low birth weight babies (p<.05), but had similar rates of prenatal care. Multivariate analyses confirm that APP participation is a significant predictor of giving birth to a baby that is not low birth weight, while controlling for differences in maternal characteristics between the two groups. Only 5% of APP participants had a second birth compared to 11% of non-participants (p<.01). Also, one year of program involvement is associated with improved parenting skills (p<.05) and increased contraception use (p<.001). Evaluation findings are consistent with a previous APP study suggesting that program participation is associated with delayed second births. Also, youth who entered APP while pregnant may have experienced greater benefit from the program than youth who entered already parenting. Examination of case management contact hours, type, and goals offered some indication of how program characteristics influenced participant outcomes. Case management can be an effective practice method in interventions for pregnant and parenting adolescents. Lessons learned from this study support the argument that case management services can be instrumental in helping adolescent mothers prepare for the difficult transition to parenting and postponing subsequent births. Implications for social work intervention and research will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:
• 1. Understand one model of case management intervention to increase teenage mothers’ potential for success.
• 2. List four outcomes for teenage mothers who participated in a case management program for pregnant and parenting adolescents.
• 3. Describe key findings and recommendations from the evaluation.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.